State Stories

The National Football League (NFL) will contest Super Bowl 50 this Sunday, February 7, 2016 in San Francisco. As a part of the buildup to the historic game, the NFL and official ball provider Wilson Sporting Goods are conducting the Super Bowl High School Honor Roll. The program recognizes any player or coach who ever participated in a Super Bowl by presenting their high school with a special golden Wilson football bearing that individual’s name and the Super Bowl 50 insignia.

Owen Daniels will be added to that list this weekend, as the Denver Broncos tight end quarterbacked Naperville Central to the IHSA Class 6A state title in 1999 as a junior (watch that game here on IHSA Archives).

The IHSA school with the most Super Bowl players/coaches and appearances is Mt Carmel High School in Chicago, as five total Caravan players participated in seven Super Bowls. That group includes Donovan McNabb and Simeon Rice, the latter of whom was honored at the high school on January 15, as he presented the golden Wilson football to the school to be displayed in their trophy case.

Freeport High School graduate Preston Pearson has the most appearances by an IHSA alum, as he played in five Super Bowls for three teams (Colts, Steelers, Cowboys), winning two.

Proviso East was second to Mt. Carmel with four alum appearing in seven Super Bowls, while Thornton and T.F. South each had three alum make appearances in five and four Super Bowls, respectively. Marian Catholic (Chicago Heights) had two players appear in six NFL title games, four of which came from Rodney Harrison.

Carmel Catholic (Mundelein) and since closed Assumption Catholic (East St. Louis) each had two players appear in five Super Bowls. Assumption’s total included Eric Wright, who had four of the five appearances, winning all four as a part of the San Francisco 49ers dynasty of the 1980’s.

Joliet Catholic Academy, the IHSA leader with 13 football state titles, has two honorees, both of whom were IHSA state champions and Super Bowl champions in 1985 Chicago Bear Tom Thayer and Tampa Bay Buccaneer standout Mike Alstott.